


come too far

by elegantstupidity



Category: Leverage
Genre: F/M, Miscommunication, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 23:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21144797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantstupidity/pseuds/elegantstupidity
Summary: They're thieves. They're not above stealing what they want. Which is why Eliot doesn't pick up on the fact that what Hardison and Parker want is him.





	come too far

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jedibuttercup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedibuttercup/gifts).

“I still think we shoulda gone with the Tuscaloosa Twist,” Eliot muttered, leaning against the access panel in the crowded ballroom and trying to look casual as he waited for Parker to show up with the security passes. Well, maybe "casual" was going too far when he was in an honest-to-God tux and bow tie—he didn't even want to know how Hardison had gotten the fit on these pants so right—but he'd settle for not being taken for a waiter and pressed into passing around silver trays of what he'd been told were "hand salads dressed in dill and chive infused buttermilk" but he was pretty sure were just baby butter lettuce wedges drizzled with Hidden Valley.

“I told you"—Hardison's voice in his ear practically cracked with indignation, and it wasn't hard for Eliot to imagine the exact expression that went along with it—"I can’t get a tank of jellyfish on this kinda turnaround. The Wonder Dog's where it's at.”

“You got an entire crate of gummy frogs shipped to the brewpub,” he growled, nonetheless scanning the crowd, clocking any potential snags in the current plan, “in less than six hours the last time you ran out. You couldn’t figure out jellyfish?”

“Hey," Hardison shot back, "you wanna tangle with the Fish and Wildlife Services databases, be my guest, but—“

“Got 'em,” came Parker’s steady voice, effectively cutting off their sniping.

"Copy."

"Anyway, you're both wrong. The Twist needs an in at the IRS and the Wonder Dog pays off on a rollercoaster." Her words echoed, both from the comm in Eliot's ear and about fifteen feet away, where she was approaching with a smug smile on her lips. "It's the Little King, all the way."

Eliot rolled his eyes as she sauntered up to him, pulling a key card out from he-didn't-want-to-know-where, not when she was wearing a dress that revealed that much skin.

It was hard for his mind not to go there, though, as Parker draped herself across him, using their closeness and his body to hide the quick work her fingers were doing behind his back. The professional in him knew he had to put his hands on her, relax into her touch and make sure not to draw anyone's attention. The fact that his interest in getting his hands on Parker—and Hardison if he weren't out in Lucille, monitoring camera feeds—was anything but professional...

Which just meant he felt guilty as hell when he settled a hand on Parker's waist and drew her in close.

"So, are you gonna give me a good luck kiss this time?"

Eliot liked to think that he was prepared for most eventualities. He always planned for at least ten more hitters than Hardison's intel dug up, he had both a DEA and a local PD badge on him at all times, which was to say nothing of the boxes of sugary cereal and litres of orange soda taking up space in his pantry for when his teammates inevitably invaded his apartment, like they didn't have one, plus lord knew how many boltholes, of their own.

He was not, however, prepared for Parker, dressed up like every other rich socialite in the place and still outshining them all, pressed against him as though she didn't believe in the term "personal space," asking him for a kiss.

"You don't believe in luck, Parker," he hedged. He'd kissed her before, but only for the con. Hell, he'd kissed Hardison once or twice to sell a grift, and wouldn't mind doing it again, but this wasn't that. This wasn't that at all. "When'd you ask last time?"

"That job at Intelli-Tek last month. Remember?"

He did. Vaguely.

Mostly, what he remembered was that he'd been about three seconds out from being hip-deep in ex-Swiss Guard at the time. The request had hardly even registered as he cataloged the three security guys coming at him: lefty, bum right knee, near-sighted.

Once the last one—Bum Right Knee was plenty crafty to compensate—was on the ground, however, he'd turned back to her.

“What?” he'd demanded, shaking out his shoulder; he really should’ve dodged that hit—it was a very distinctive windup—but it was more important to keep the other guy from getting to Parker. He’d taught her enough to know she’d hold her own, but nothing sat right about letting some grunt get anywhere near her or Hardison while Eliot had even one leg to stand on.

She had already pushed by him, though, eager to get her hands on the latest Glenn-Reeder vault. “Never mind,” she'd said, all her attention on the tumblers.

Eliot grunted. He didn't know what to say.

Over the comms, Hardison piped up, “And I asked the week after when we were going after that guy scamming all the preschools."

"What? No, you were talking to Parker."

Eliot definitely remembered that job, how his heart had seized up when he and Hardison had been ready to go lay the groundwork of their con for the mark and the hacker had grinned and asked, "Kiss for luck?" He'd rolled his eyes at the time, climbed out of the car, and muted his earbud for a hot minute to give his teammates a bit of privacy. Why else would Hardison use the phrase they'd made into something of an inside joke back in D.C.? Anyway, it was safer than examining the swoop of disappointment in his gut that the question wasn't for him.

"Parker?" Hardison demanded. "Who was all the way on the other side of town breaking into the guy's house?"

"It wasn't even hard," she added, pouting just enough to make the gloss on her lips shine. "A six-year-old could've cleaned that guy out."

"Yeah, I was asking Parker for a kiss."

"Well, I don't know what you two get up to!" Eliot sputtered, more in the face of the taunting _But you'd really like to_, pinging through his head than any actual embarrassment at the thought of them getting heated over comms. 

Hardison just made a sound of disgust and exasperation. "Man, just give the woman her kiss already. Or she'll keep pretending she didn't get that panel unlocked three minutes ago.”

His attention returned to the woman in his arms, Eliot raised a brow. He had to tip his head to the side so she could see it. Parker shrugged, making sure the movement slid her entire body against him, but didn’t deny it. He caught the wicked edge of a grin on her pink lips.

"Damn it, Parker."

"Kiss the girl"—Hardison sounded concerned, but not by the prospect of Eliot kissing his girlfriend—"because you've got incoming. Or do I need to start blasting some Little Mermaid here?"

Taking a peek over Parker's shoulder, Eliot immediately zeroed in on the two grunts headed their way. Judging by their watches, older DW 6600s because they'd never made it out of SEAL training let alone been deployed, he didn't want Parker anywhere near them. So, he dipped his head to find Parker already looking up at him, her lips soft and ready.

Tempting as she was—and with the strong, lithe lines of her plastered against him as intimately as Eliot had ever experienced, she was tempting—he hesitated. Not because of her or him or even the grunts closing in, but Hardison. Not for the obvious reason, either.

If he kissed Parker, should it really be with her boyfriend surveilling them? (And not, unfortunately, close enough that Eliot could reach out and reel him in for a kiss of his own?)

Out of time, he spun them around, putting her back to the wall and leaning in. His mouth brushed dryly against her cheek.

Before he could appreciate her disappointed pout, Eliot pushed her back through the open panel to scramble around through the air vents while he took on a couple Coronado washouts.

If Parker and Hardison wanted a kiss, they could take it once this job was all tied up.

And if they really wanted a kiss, he had no doubts that they would.


End file.
